Dear UP Clients,
2012 looks like it’s going to be a record year. I am noticing owners more positive and smarter with their business decisions.
I was called today and the school owner was telling me how he was purchasing yet another program to offer his students and he explained by adding just 20 students to this upgrade he would make another $12,000 a year.
Sounds good but let’s think this over. You already have 3 upgrades and at least two add on programs. Why don’t we do something different. Lets provide a great service and make much more than $12,000. If fact this program will sell itself without selling from the floor promoting another “upgrade” or asking your present students for a penny.
I asked IF he ever does an intro program and not sign up the prospective student because of price or because the prospect already had a busy schedule and couldn’t make 2 – 3 classes a week? He said, “SURE, I do have a good enrollment percentage but those are the main reasons prospects say no.”
I suggested that when the final objection is either money or commitment he enroll the student in a Once A Week Time Slot. You could simply say “I understand that you are busy and finances are a little tight. This is what I would like to recommend. We have a program that meets once a week. Students progress through the ranks a little slower but the class all works together and if anything ever changes you can always move into the twice a week class. The program is only $19.50 a week.”
This is a simple way to add more income. In fact only 25 students will add $25,350 a year.
Plus you created a way for more students to benefit from all the fantastic benefits of the program you offer. Increased testing numbers and event revenue. And you haven’t had to try to sell more curriculum or more classes to present students.
Greg Silva
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I wanted to do a video this morning however my computer is having challenges
timing the voice to the picture. FOR EDITABLE FLYER AND COMPLETE RULES CLICK HERE.
The project I wanted to introduce is the concept of a new revenue generating
/ retention / lead generation event.
The idea is of a Team 2012 School Friendship Tournament. This will be
quarterly tournaments that you will hold at your schools so your students
get to play the game not just practice martial arts - hone their skills, have
fun and build an increased social atmosphere in the school. Divisions will
include sparring, forms, breaking, self defense if you have a traditional
school. If you include BJJ, grappling and MMA of course your divisions will
be different. Grand Master Perez also has a great idea to include a BOPPER
DIVISION for brand new students which will be a points division using a
blocker to strike and an hand target to block.
To make sure students don't decide to opt-out because they just "know" who
is going to wi, then we suggest forming teams in which students will compete with
their teams and earn total points. Throughout the year points are totaled
and then next at Decembers Holiday party you can award the winning teams
special awards.
Schools that do inner school tournaments already say that a $35 entry fee
and $5 spectator fee is more than fair. So a solid tournament with 50
competitors, 100 spectators will generate $2500 or $10,000 for the year.
A larger school would expect $20,000 or more a year.
Some quick ideas -
- Schedule tournaments Feb, May, August and November to add to retention and
not to interfere with graduations.
- Have fun with the teams - they can pick their names and design their own
T-shirts.
- Let teams have times for team practice
- Teams can have their facebook page
- Parents can serve hot dogs, soda and snacks at your tournament -fun and
extra income.
- Give certificates of participation at each tournament - same recognition
feeling they get at belt graduation. Again more retention.
- Train parents to be judges.
- Teams are important - again each school has their superstars which prevent
average students from attending. Winning teams get medals.
- Urge students to bring guests, have a raffle and gather prospects.
- List the team standing and names at you school and on your web site.
- Donate a portion of each tournament to a charity and give back. Community
recognition.
- Winning team members are eligible for the International Convention
Tournament.
Send me your ideas and we will put together a Team Tournament package for
everyone.
Make today spectacular!!
Greg Silva
More Fantastic Friendship Tournament Ideas!
Hi Mr. Silva,
I liked all the ideas for the tournament season. We have been doing in school tournaments for years now. We do them quarterly as well and schedule them on a month that does not have a belt testing. This way each quarter has one tournament, one belt testing and only one month in the quarter that we have to schedule a seminar or other major revenue generating event. This really helps with driving our student value towards that $150 that Mr. Storm has always referred to.
We drive the students to the tournaments in a couple of ways;
- We keep stats and post them in the school with the end goal for the student to be a “Top Ten” in their age category at the end of the year.
- We host a year end awards banquet where our students receive their awards. This is a major event for our schools. The facility we use can seat 400 people and we have sold out every year. This event is held in January and helps to cap off the year and kick off the new year. It gives you a great opportunity to showcase your “special teams” http://youtu.be/-uzVJvMAfbQ
- We also use the banquet to resell the parents on the value of our programs.
- We tell the parents in our “New Parent Orientations” about the tournaments and why they are important.
- They give the student a goal to work towards.
- If the student played baseball, would they practice all week and never play a game?
- It builds self esteem when the event is conducted properly.
- We have “A” divisions and “AA” divisions to compensate for the different skill levels of the students. We have some students that compete in national tournaments so they have to compete in the “AA” divisions.
- We do “ jump kick” Divisions that allow for the student that has only been to a few classes to compete , and win.“
The level of participation is directly related to the level of enthusiasm in the school. Over the years I have been able to gauge how effective the managers and instructors are in their schools by the participation level of their students in the tournaments. A healthy school with a great atmosphere will be able to drive at least 50% of the students to the event. My staff knows that if they are not driving that number they have communication or excitement level issues to address.
Over all, tournaments have been a major part of our schools for years without being known as “tournament schools” . We get lot of free publicity in the newspaper every time we do one. Kids as well as parents love to see themselves in the paper. It’s a Win- Win. All the ideas you presented in the earlier e-mail are great and we will be expanding our events to incorporate those as well.
Happy New Year, Steve Butts
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